Unfortunately this one was a miss for me. I didn’t love book 2 in the series, but was hoping this one would be a winner for me. I found it very slow and I never really felt the chemistry between the two characters.

This was my first Erin Hahn novel, and it won't be my last! I had no idea that this was part of a trilogy... Makes sense after reading the blurb on the back of the other 2 books. ** Immediately adds to TBR **

This book provides a good balance between seriousness and fluff. I fell in love with the setting and the characters almost immediately. The slow burn, childhood family-friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Maren and Jo have chemistry from the start... That's not a spoiler... I swear. This one is a good palate cleanser.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

Maren recently threw up on her boyfriend when he proposed and ran away to her inheritance: a lakeside cabin and bait shop. She plans on fixing it up, while working on herself. No plans to find love, until your big brother's best friend walks in and changes everything.

This lakeside fishing themed romance was adorable. The kids were adorable. The romance was adorable. The way the characters from the other books made cameos was adorable. I really enjoyed reading this. I have loved this whole series and would read anything by Erin Hahn at this point.

There's no catch and release in this fishing lakeside fall book but a catch and keep instead. I adored this brother's best friend and single dad romance so much, set near a small lake town in Wisconsin. Perfect for fall, the setting is painted as that last good weekend on the water before the temperatures start to cool, going into the "off-season".

Maren grew up fishing, obsessed with it really as a girl, went on to create her own online show, Musky Maren. Now she is back in town, after a turned down proposal to her ex, ready to fix up a bait shop and apartment that she had inherited. She catch's the eye of her older brother's best friend, single full time father of two kids, who only ever thought previously of Maren as a younger sister.

I loved how this book came together, just a Maren and Joe just fit. She came right into their lives when Joe and the kids needed her and just was a cohesive organic situation. I loved all the interactions with the kids. Lucy, 4, autistic, who has sensory needs, and Austin, 8, who is obsessed with fishing as much as Maren was at his age. Besides the Joe and the kids, Maren also has an internet stalker per say, who is just the creeepiest person. I shuddered every time I had to read about him. Everything, from their relationship, Lucy's needs, Austin's feelings towards his mom, and the stalker were just written so well.

Loved this book so much!

You can expect:
- Fishing
- Brother's best friend
- Two adorable kids
- Former Marine
- Creepy stalker
- Awful ex-wife
- Autism rep
- Cohesive family

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Catch and Keep - Erin Hahn

Northwoods, Wisconsin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I've never felt needed, and it turns out, I really enjoy being depended on. It suits me down to my bones.”

Maren flees to her inherited land on the lake in Wisconsin after a humiliating break up, with intentions to fix up the bait ship she was left. While back in town, she finds herself spending more time than she imagined with her brother’s childhood best friend, Joe. A single dad of two kids, he’s the last person Maren wants to get tied up with.

A big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Erin Hahn is my underrated favorite rom com writer. This was the perfect fall read for Midwest girls who love the lake and the colors changing. I was really loved the inclusion of an autistic child and how Joe was an amazing advocate for both of his kids. Maren’s brother was a painfully annoying character who flipped like a switch towards the end of the story. Overall, such a heartfelt, but still spicy, love story with some of my favorite tropes all wrapped together.

Went into this not expecting much, however it was a very wholesome story. First off Joe and Maren’s backgrounds were full of a lot of hurt and betrayal. My heart broke for Joe and his kids, and I wanted to strangle Kiley. As a mother myself, I have no idea how she could be so cruel to her daughter. But it made me love Joe’s character more, and made me also love Maren for the woman and comfort she was to Lucy and the role she took on for Anders. Reading Maren and Joe’s friendship blossom into a romance to a family was absolutely beautifully written, and the sexual tension was perfectly written and you could feel it reading it. I also loved Maren’s friends and that Joe met Cam to ask advice and they FaceTimed Lorelei’s husband as well. I found that LOL funny because you could feel Joe’s panic in the writing. I actually cannot wait to read another book by Erin Hahn, this was great, I just wish it was a series to continue reading about their family.

I devoured this in on sitting, it was such a delight to read. I love a romance that subverts stereotypes and a fishing beauty queen, a Marine with no toxic masculinity. Gentle parenting and ASD rep. I loved it.

TW for stalking tendencies by side character

5⭐️2.5🌶️

What an unexpected surprise this read was. Slow paced old teenage crush, brother’s best friend love story with all the feels 😍. Oooh and did I mention single dad with two adorable kids 💕. 

This read has been sitting in my library for minute and omg what a pleasant surprise the wait was. 

Masen finds herself back in her old fishing 🎣 grounds after leaving everything behind when she felt unsettle her life. She hopes to find purpose renovating her inherited apartment and fishing shop from her old fishing buddy. 

But she soon finds herself catching more than fish 🐟 when she develops a friendship with Joe, her older brother’s bff and his adorable kids. 

Joe isn’t looking for his next love 💕 interest having his hands full with his kids, but Masen is hard to resist. 

Slowly but surely their friendship grows and they give each other the room to see what their mutual attraction could lead too. 

I love how once they agree to give THEM a try they have such open communication. Their journey was slow and steady and very rewarding. 

I love all the side characters, the banter, the laughs and the heart all around. 

This was my first read from Hahn and it was definitely a 5 star ⭐️ read.

I adore EH and loved this book. I am not an outdoorsy, fishing girl, but fell right into this story of Maren, who grew up fishing and running free at a Wisconsin resort. I loved her journey back home and finding Joe and his family. Erin does such a fantastic job of weaving real life situations and struggles into a swoony, steamy love story that I just can't put her work down. The balance of light and heft is just what we want. In the vein of Katherine Center (but steamier) and Abby Jimenez, we get stories about people and their actual issues. I love the family. I love the setting. I just loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set against the back drop of the Wisconsin Northwoods, Catch and Keep is a heartfelt, cozy, slow burn romance. Maren, our FMC, has left everything behind and is reinventing herself. Josiah (Joe), our MMC, is a recently divorced, single dad to two kids (one of whom is on the spectrum). Oh, and Joe happens to be Maren’s older brother’s best friend.

I am a huge fan of slow burns and I absolutely loved the build up of the relationship between Maren and Joe. This wasn’t any insta-love or insta-lust situation. You really get to see their relationship develop, grow, and change into something so beautiful. Maren and Joe are each able to provide exactly what the other needs and balance each other nicely. All without silly third act break up!

Maren’s relationship with Joe’s kids, Anders and Lucy, was a particular favorite part of the story for me. Those two kids are absolute gems and deserve the world.

The pacing was exactly on point and at no point did I feel bored or like the story dragged. But…the side plot with Maren’s sort of stalker felt oddly out of place for me. I personally could feel the story didn’t need it. There was enough tension without it and there wasn’t really any payoff for it.

As someone who grew up in Wisconsin and spent every summer fishing with my grandpa in the Northwoods, Catch and Keep felt so real to me.

This was my first book from Erin Hahn and I am literally running to the store to get more from her.

A solid 4.5 stars from me!

A beautifully written, heartfelt romance.

Maren returns to her hometown after her love life falls apart, only to find her brother's childhood best friend living nearby with his two adorable kids.

I loved Maren's strength and independence--she's built a career doing what she loves, even as she faces challenges like being harassed by a fan and dealing with an unsupportive brother (whom I wanted to punch for most of the book).

Joe is an absolute teddy bear, devoted to creating a safe, loving environment for his children. The constant struggle with his ex, who refuses to accept their daughter's autism, added such emotional depth to his character. Watching Joe rediscover happiness while also seeing the kids' personal growth throughout the story was heartwarming.

One of my favorite parts was seeing familiar faces from two of Erin Hahn's other books--it felt like a family reunion I never wanted to end.

This poignant story had just the right balance of laughter and tears. I couldn't get enough of it, and it left me craving a peaceful day of fishing with a great audiobook and my dog!

Catch and Keep was a joy to read. Maren was such a strong, independent FMC. She knew her mind and was brave, facing her demons head on. Liam, her older brother, was judgemental and bossy but a great foil to showcase Maren’s ability to handle herself. Joe, Liam’s best friend, was a tender, patient single dad. I don’t have any personal experience with autism, but it seemed like a realistic portrayal of the challenges of raising an autistic child. I adored the organic relationship that developed between both Joe and Maren, and Maren and his kids. This is a great book for the romance lover who appreciates the outdoors.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin and Erin Hahn for an advanced reader copy (eARC) in exchange for an honest review.

Maren escapes to a resort in Wisconsin after her boyfriend's proposal. The resort town is one that her family frequented/lived in during her childhood. She attempts to live in and fix up a falling down bait shop she has inherited. She runs into Joe, her brother's best friend. Joe is a single parent of two with an ex who was not suited to a Wisconsin lifestyle. Getting together is fraught with Joe's friendship with Maren's brother, Joe's two kids, Maren trying to decide on her future. Does Maren catch Joe? Does Joe catch Maren? Do they keep each other? You'll have to read this delightful book to find out; but, you won't be disappointed! Love, love, love Erin Hahn's books!

ARC Review: Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn
Pub Date: October 15, 2024

My goodness, I LOVED this book!! When Maren's boyfriend proposes to her in public, she realizes that this isn't what she wants. So she takes a leave of absence from her job and goes to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the place her family visited every summer and her happy place. While she decides what to do next, she works on fixing up the cabin and bait shop that was left to her. She also reconnects with Joe, her brother's best friend, whose family owns the resort that they stayed at as kids. Joe is divorced and single parenting two kids and doesn't have space for something temporary. But as Maren and Joe continue to spend more time together rediscovering who they are now, the sparks can't be denied...

Listen - you know when a book seems like it might be designed specifically for you? Well, this book sure was written for me IMHO. I'm originally from WI and my family has a cottage up in the Northwoods - it literally is my happiest place. After spending almost 10 years on the east coast, I moved back to my home state about 6 months ago. Though I didn't move because of an unwanted proposal, I did move because I was looking for *something* that my life out there didn't have. So obviously I related to Maren a whole lot - though I haven't met a single dad (yet!).

I loved the evolution of Maren and Joe's relationship and how much she loves his kids. Kids for me are sometimes a tough sell in a romance - but I thought they were great additions here and never took over the storyline. I thought the representation of a child with autism was done really well and my heart melted when she accepted Maren and knew that she was a safe person.

All in all, this was a book that hit all the marks for me! Swoony and bantery and just exactly what I needed. Highly, highly recommend this one

Thank you to SMP for the eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Maren's life isn't what she thought it would be. She turned down her boyfriend's proposal after he stole her dream job and moved back to her hometown. Maren loves the outdoors and wants to go back to simpler days. Here, she runs into her brother's best friend, Joe, who is now a single dad with two kids. They seem to effortlessly fit into each other's lives, but what's the catch?

Thoughts 💭
This was a sweet, cozy, slow burn romance. Joe is a single dad who is raising his two kids (one who has autism), and it was heart-warming to read. Maren fits right into their lives seamlessly, but the timing wasn't right until now. I thought it was cool that Maren used to have a YouTube channel where she was pretty popular. She has two famous friends who appear in the story and have their own separate books. This isn't listed as a series, and I didn't find it confusing without reading the other two stories, but I did wonder at first why there was so much time spent talking about these other characters. After a little research, I realized they had their own books. I loved the support these friends had for each other and would love to go back and read the other stories. This is definitely a romance to check out with a cup of tea and a cozy blanket. It was sweet and wholesome.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh man. Swoooon!!! The romance in this book is so natural and beautiful. And also surprisingly super hot?! Yowza. And because it’s an Erin Hahn romance, my eyes were welled up (but NOT crying) for about 65% of the book. So naturally, I loved it. 5 stars. 10 stars. All the stars.

You know it’s a good book when you start adding other books by the author to your TBR pile. I loved Maren and Joe so much. I loved how real both characters felt and their journey together. Their love is perfect and I couldn’t stop reading this book. I want to read about Maren’s friends (and fortunately their stories have already been told).

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced readers copy of Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn.

This was a new to me author and boy did she not disappoint. I enjoyed this novel so much I went searching for her back list of books.

I think she did an excellent job of navigating tough subjects including neurodivergent children, divorce, marriage, co-parenting and all around family dynamics really well. I like that despite all this tough content we still got a great slow burn romance out of the story. It felt like a genuine romance between a girl and her brother's best friend. I found the storyline delightful even though I wouldn't consider myself outdoorsy like our main character.

I would definitely recommend this for fellow readers who enjoy a romance with a bit more depth to its story.

This was a very sweet story. I haven’t read the others in this series and wasn’t lost so it definitely works as a stand alone. Loved the autism spectrum representation.

Unfortunately i made the decision to DNF this book after multiple failed attempts to consume. I hope to pick it up again at a later time.